The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-16

You snail smell very, very SWEEP,
said the mother. And Tiny Bud was
satisfied, for she thought, II shall be
loved for my fragrance il not for my
beauty. I will be as happy and cheerful
as can, that I may grow sweeter and
sweeter."
But the Lily Children that I wished es-
pecialIy to introduce to you grew side by
side in the broad sunlight, and every
evening found them grown little larger.
"When shall I openY said one Of them,
Silly Bud by name. IL do wish to see
myself in white and gold"
"Have patience" said the mother, over
and over again. The longer you wait,
the more beautiful you will be-" But
Silly Bud would not be patient, she tried
to futter her petals open more and more
every day.
"You will repent it," said the mother.
"The half grown bud makes miserable
flower. Laugh and dance and grow with
the rest; will be sure to tell you when it
IL tliuo W Opou.
But the constant cry Of Silly Bud was,
"Let me, please let me be flower to-
day r.
At last, quite worn out, Mrs. P said
she might be flower if she would, if
only to be warning to her brothers and
sisters.
1t was chilly morning when Silly Bud
began to open her outer leaves.
She burst them rudely for they were
not yet ready to unclose, and the edge OF
one was torn. At last, one by one, her
petals slowly spread; but when Silly Bud
looked in the water to see herself these
were not SO white as she had expected,
nor was her heart SO yellow. The sky
she had lopged to see was not beautiful,
being leaden instead Of blue, the trees
were not SO green, the birds only twit-
tered, and, worse than all, q keen wind
swept over the water, making the timid
young Silly Bud shiver in her white
dress.
"This is q most miserable world" she
sobbed. 81 have been deceived"
The mother felt too sorry for her fool
ish child to say, az told you So" AL day
long she shivered and repined, and at the
first approach OF night was glad to shut
up her leaves and YEARLY sink to sleep
never, never to wake again.
But the last Lily Child mad trusted
that Mother Lilly is wiser than her Buds,
and 80 waited cheerfully, until one morn
ing, just as the sun rose over the water,
her glossy outer leaves parted, showing
pink edges like lips of shells-then
CLEAN of white between them more and
more, until there looked up to the sun
the Queen Of Flowers, with row on row
of dazzling white petals, growing more
and more creamy to the centre, till they
reached the heart of gold!
How she flashed back the suns "good
morning" from her crown OF water drops!
How glorious the sky looked TO her that
beautiful morningl how white the clouds!
how green the trees! how the birds sarg
to welcome herl and what fragrance
she sent up in her gratitude! 1t was worth
waiting for to be such flower. All day
long she reioiced in the sunshine, and
when evening came folded up her sweet
ness 4.zaSzad to sleep by the
waves. The next morning saw her al
most as bright as new, and while she was
still fresh boy came wading in and
pulled her from the mother root. A lit
tie sorry she felt, but no regret. She was
going now to fulfill her mission, to delight
some human eye. 1t was for this her
beauty had been given. So she rejoiced
as she went into the basket with her
mates, and reioiced still more as she was
placed in glass dish by sick girls pill
low. She spread her leaves, and looked
her purest, and smiled her sweetest, and
when at night the poor girl closed her
eyes on earth TO open them in heaven,
the beautiful Lilly went with her in mem
DRY, so sharing her Immortality.